Health
Home blood pressure monitoring accurately predicts death risk
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted Oct. 6, 2008
"White coat" hypertension is less of a health risk than having a continuous high blood pressure, and ambulatory monitoring accurately identifies those most in need of intervention, according to a study in the September/October Annals of Family Medicine.
Researchers analyzed data on 5,182 patients recommended for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring in Oxfordshire, England. Those who had high blood pressures only in clinics were more likely to be female and younger, and less likely to have died during the decade-long study than those who always had high numbers.
The authors are advocating for more research into the effect of blood pressure-lowering medications on those who only have this problem in the doctor's office and caution when initiating pharmacotherapy.
"We need to consider evaluating patients in greater depth before starting treatment for hypertension," the authors wrote.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2008/10/06/hlbf1006.htm.
